This invention relates generally to displays, and more particularly to vending machine displays.
Vending machines often utilize displays to advertise and sell products. These displays typically are in the form of still graphics, pictures, or text on the viewable surfaces of the vending machine.
Many different types of vending machines exist for housing and selling many different types of products. Examples of such vending machines include soda vending machines, cigarette dispensing machines, snack/candy machines, etc. Such vending machines often utilize displays on all or a large amount of their viewable surfaces to advertise their products. Such displays can be located on the front surface, side surfaces, and top surface of the vending machine in locations where the consumer can effectively see the product advertisements. For example, beverage vending machines typically include large displays showing still graphics or pictures of the beverages sold on some or all viewable surfaces of the beverage vending machine.
Some vending machines contain mixed products. Such vending machines can include unrelated products such as soda, candy/snacks, food, cigarettes, toys, and personal items. These vending machines often utilize much smaller displays to advertise their products compared to vending machines that contain related products. In both types of vending machines, displays are often located adjacent to the dispensed product are often employed. These displays can include still graphics, pictures, or text individually relating to the dispensed products. In those cases where display and advertising space on a vending machine is at a premium, the ability to capture the consumer""s attention with a display of any size is important.
In addition to the advertising and display needs of vending machines discussed above, several problems exist with conventional vending machines. Some conventional vending machines utilize lighted displays employing incandescent light bulbs for illumination. Incandescent light bulbs radiate heat during operation, which is often a problem when combined with the storage requirements of the products contained within the vending machines. For example, the individual cans or bottles contained within a beverage vending machine typically require refrigeration. Incandescent light bulbs located in soda vending machines can transfer heat into the refrigerated compartment of the machine. This decreases the overall efficiency of the refrigeration unit within the soda vending machine, which in turn causes the machine to draw more electricity to maintain the chilled environment within the machine. In addition, despite advances made in the field of light bulbs, the energy consumed to power light bulbs remains a significant part of the total energy required to run conventional vending machines.
A further problem with conventional vending machines that utilize incandescent light bulbs to illuminate their display surfaces is that these light bulbs are bulky and require a large amount of space in the vending machine. As a result, less space is allowed for the dispensed product for a given vending machine size, which can yield a lower profitability to the vending machine owner.
Yet another problem with conventional vending machines that utilize incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs to illuminate their display surfaces is that their design places inherent limitations on the location of illuminated displays within the vending machine and how the bulbs are used to light the displays of the vending machine. For example, the relatively large size of many light bulbs often requires them to be centrally located in the vending machine, or can otherwise limit the location and placement of illuminated displays on the vending machine.
The vending machine advertising apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention includes one or more displays, a controller connected to the displays via suitable power wiring, and a power supply. Although the displays can be of any type (including without limitation LED, LCD, CRT, and other display types), significant advantages are achieved by the use of electroluminescent (xe2x80x9cELxe2x80x9d) displays.
When compared to existing vending machine advertising and display devices (including LEDs and incandescent lighting), an vending machine advertising apparatus according to the present invention can provide a number of advantages. For example, the controller can be employed to provide animation of the individual displays, thereby enabling improved advertising of products in the vending machines. In the case of EL displays for example, displays having any size (including even relatively small displays) are better adapted to capture consumers"" attention.
Some embodiments of the present invention (e.g., those employing EL displays as described above) provide additional advantages related to heat reduction and reduced energy consumption. As a result, for example, the EL vending machine advertising apparatus reduces the load placed upon refrigeration components when used on food and beverage vending machines, and consumes a fraction of the energy compared to conventional vending machine displays.
In those embodiments of the present invention employing EL displays, another advantage is that the EL displays can be thin and flexible, thereby consuming less space within a vending machine compared to incandescent light bulbs, and enabling an installer to install the EL displays in many more locations than previously available while potentially providing a size and weight savings. In addition, the simple form of the EL advertising and display apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention can enable much faster and less costly advertisement installation, repair, and maintenance, and can enable a user to quickly and inexpensively update or otherwise change vending machine advertisements.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the drawings.